Fragile Dreams
by cyberdigi
Summary: Written for the LLI challenge Restart back at Adam. Short version Adam scrambled Jack's brain and everything afterward might not have happened as scene and COE definitely didn't happen, see inside for full prompt. Future part in Butterfly series, which in case someone doesn't bother to actually LOOK at the rest of the series, not the most Gwen friendly.


**Disclaimer:** RTD and BBC (and all that it entails) owns them and all rights, if I owned them I would have fic writers doing the scripts, regardless of what RTD thinks (hmmm assassin!Ianto, Empath!Ianto, or vampire!Ianto or even all three as cannon, that'd be fun)

**Full Prompt:** _Restart back at Adam ... when Adam changed Jack's memory of his father and Gray, it damaged him somehow - made his worst fears a reality in his mind. The rest of season 2 and COE happens but not the way Jack remembers. When his mind finally heals its Post COE but the events transpired very differently from what he remembers- Owen did not die at the Pharm or again at the power plant, Tosh is very much alive, and Ianto is immortal (how that happens and what goes on with the rest of the events including Gwen's marriage, Steven, Gray is all up to the author). The team - as we knew it or expanded - has to help Jack reconcile his memories and what really happened._

**A/N:** As this is outside the show, and was a fill WAY before I got to this part it's being post by itself ;). Also as this is the third to last story before I'm caught up I'll be posting the other 2 over the next couple days. Also sorry for not posting yesterday I had trouble uploading the file.

**Caution: **Not particularly kind to Gwen

This was a fill for the LongLiveIanto first NonAnniversy for the prompt in the summary, it just was too perfect of a fit.

**Fragile Dreams**

I am waking up. Funny, I don't remember falling asleep...

Wait.

Owen, Tosh, Steven, and, oh gods, Ianto. Dead. They are all dead.

The first two because my brother sought revenge, and the second two…because of i_me_/i.

I have to leave, everything is gone. All that is left is Gwen, and she is not, had never and would never be enough.

"His brain waves are stabilizing, looks like we were able to halt the damage before it was too late."

An unfamiliar voice penetrates the darkness of my mind.

"Bloody tosser, of course our captain can't have a normal injury, one i_I_/i can treat. No, he has to do something i_different_/i."

No, no, no, that can't be right; he's dead. Dead twice, in fact.

"Yes, of course, Owen; because you weren't remotely busy trying to keep Gwen from doing something stupid or making sure the children were unharmed."

No, no; he's gone, too. I watched him die; he died in my arms. I was a coward who couldn't tell him I loved him.

"Bugger off, Ianto."

"He's in a right mood, Ianto. He's just angry that there's a doctor more brilliant than him."

No, not her, too. My gods, this has to be a dream or a nightmare.

"He should be waking up any moment. He might be confused, though." The unfamiliar voice again, but it's starting to sound more familiar. Something's not right.

"What do you mean, confused?" At least, she i_shouldn't_i be dead.

"Oh geez, I don't know, there's absolutely no way that having erratic, destructive brain waves could cause confusion; nope, none."

"Oi, pregnant woman here; be nice, Owen."

"Pregnancy is no excuse for stupidity or stupid questions."

"Hmphf." At least Gwen is behaving normally.

"Shhhh..."

Suddenly there's a hand on my face.

"It's time to wake up, sir. I have a nice cup of coffee for you."

It's too much. I open my eyes to see Ianto leaning over me, smiling.

I look over and see my team; my i_whole_/i team, alive and well…and a man in a bow tie.

I cannot stop the tears as they start to fill my eyes.

"You died," I say as I look into Ianto's eyes. "Most of the team is dead."

"Shush," Ianto says, smoothing my hair. "We're alright, but you had a reaction to the 456's signal. It…"

Ianto looks over to the bow tie man, who jumps in to continue.

"Their signal had a unique effect on your brainwaves. It was quite a job fixing them. I am 'da man'. Oh, wait, I wasn't going to say that again."

I blink at him.

"Wha?" I turn back to Ianto. "You're not dead? And the others...?"

Then turning back to the bow tie man, I ask, "Who ARE you?"

My team looks at each other before Ianto says to me, "We're alright, Jack, and he's..."

"I'm THE Doctor," bow tie man, the Doctor, finishes for him.

"Huh? Regenerated?" I am so confused.

"Excuse me, Mr. Jones," the Doctor says, gently moving Ianto to the side to run his sonic screwdriver over me. "My, those brainwaves really did a number on you."

"What's going on?" asks Gwen.

"We'll fill you in later Gwen, you're supposed to be meeting Rhys for counseling in five minutes," says Tosh.

"I could call and cancel."

"And Rhys said if you even i_try_/i and cancel again he's done," says Ianto.

"Hummmpppphhhh." With that, Gwen leaves.

"Counseling?" I am more confused than ever, now.

Ianto turns back to me. "Yes, Rhys made Gwen agree to couples counseling."

"But Owen was killed and then undead, and Gray killed Tosh before I put him in a cryo chamber, and Owen was melted in the nuclear power plant, and the 456 virus killed you..." I'm crying now.

I can see Owen and Tosh share a look over Ianto's shoulder and Ianto pulls me close.

"Oh Jack, Owen wasn't killed and made undead, although I'm not sure how he could have been made undead. Tosh was saved before Gray shot her and she was able to make sure Owen got out in time," says Ianto and then pauses.

"Gray? You?"

"Gray is in a cryo chamber waiting for you to be ready do what whatever needs to be done, and me, well, the virus did kill me, but I'm fine now."

"What!" No, No, NO! Ianto does not revive from the dead; he's not cursed like me.

"Doctor, this is more than 'confused.' What happened?" Tosh sounds very concerned. My gods, what's going on?

The Doctor has still been running his sonic screwdriver over me.

"Well, this is interesting. You've mentioned you all experienced some missing time, correct?"

"Right," says Owen, who sounds skeptical.

"I'm beginning to suspect you all encountered a Vortex phantom. They're beings that live in the Vortex and sometimes try to live in our world, but because the Vortex exists outside of time they can't exist unless someone knows them. So they manipulate memories to insinuate themselves into a group."

"Oh my God! How do we know it's really gone?" Tosh's voice is panicked.

"Oh, it's gone, or at least not here, so it's not interfering with your team anymore."

"I'm sorry Doctor, while this is very interesting, what does this have to do with Jack's current state?" Ianto asks.

"Oh yes, you see, it would appear the phantom tried to more thoroughly infiltrate Jack's memories and it left some residue that interacted with the 456 signal, causing Jack's current state."

"Is this temporary?" Owen seems to have reverted to doctor mode.

"Should be, everything should be intact. Think of it as having a very vivid nightmare and not knowing when you wake if it was real or not."

I am sitting now, still confused, but I feel I shouldn't be. I look at Ianto. I don't know what he sees but he pulls me close again and kisses my forehead. Maybe i_this_/i is the dream.

"Doctor, do you think she could help? I think the sooner we resolve this, the better," says Ianto.

The Doctor's face lights up. "She just might, she's always had a soft spot for him. Go ahead and take him."

I feel Ianto nod, and he helps me to my feet and starts to walk with me across the Hub.

"How can you revive from the dead?" I probably shouldn't ask. If this is a dream, logic could shatter it.

Ianto smiles at me, his arm still around my shoulders. "A gift from a special friend of yours, but I have to say I've become quite fond of her as well."

"Gift?"

"Shhh, hopefully once we get you to her, she'll help get you sorted and you'll know yourself."

I look up and I see the familiar blue police box.

Ianto continues, "Come on, I have your key."

He unlocks the door and we step in. It's different and yet familiar from what I remember. I can feel her thrumming around me.

i_My Jack_/i

The words echo in my head and I know it's the TARDIS.

i_Please come to me, my Jack_/i

I walk to her console, the place closest to her heart.

i_Touch me, my Jack_/i

I touch the console and then I feel her filling my mind and images flash before me and I i_know_/i they are my memories

Meeting the Doctor's latest regeneration.

His gift.

Owen and Tosh surviving.

Rhys and Gwen's relationship becoming complicated.

Ianto.

Ianto dying and reviving in my arms.

Reviving because of the Bad Wolf.

i_My Jack_/i

I feel the Tardis whisper as she slowly retreats.

i_All is as it should be, my Jack_/i

"Thank you," I tell her as I stroke her console.

i_Always for my Jack_/i

I smile and turn back to Ianto. "Thank you. Love you."

Ianto smiles back. "Better?"

I nod.

"Good, I love you too," he replies, beaming.

I smile again, just glad that it was all a nightmare and this isn't a fragile dream.


End file.
